Ski sharpener



L. JLSCHEL L, JR

"SKI SHARPENER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1967 INVENTOR LIGUORI ATTORNEYS May 19, 1970 .1. SCHELL, JR 2,

SKI SHARPENER Filed Jan. 11, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LIGUORI J. SCHELL'U'R. BY

ATTORNEYS United States Patent SKI SHARPENER Liguori J. Schell, Jr., 18432 Lake Shore Blvd., Cleveland, Ohio 44119 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 527,964, Feb. 16, 1966. This application Jan. 11, 1967, Ser. 608,633 The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Nov. 26, 1985, has been disclaimed Int. Cl. B24b 23/00 US. Cl. 51-170 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A grinding wheel for sharpening the running edge of a ski is mounted on a base which is slidable longitudinally of the bottom of an upturned ski, the abrasive wheel on the base being movable at right angles to the running edge for advance and withdrawal of the grinding face relative to the running edge. The invention shown here utilizes a motor fixed to the base and drivingly connected to the drive shaft of the abrasive wheel.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 527,964, filed Feb. 16, 1966, Pat. No. 3,412,505.

This invention relates to improvements in a device for sharpening a running edge of a ski.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device which may be slid longitudinally of the bottom of a ski turned upside down while a rotating grinding wheel which is carried by a base has its grinding face presented to the running edge with a slight pres-sure.

Present devices for sharpening skis are cumbersome or require a great deal of manual labor or are otherwise unsatisfactory. It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple device which will accomplish the purpose very quickly and efficiently and without involving cumbersome apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and specification and the essential features thereof will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a form of the invention shown and claimed in my parent application Serial No. 527,694;

FIG. 1A is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of FIG. 1, showing a modification;

FIG. 2 is a central sectional view, enlarged, of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of the invention of this application;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the second em bodiment;

FIG. 5 is a perspecive view of a second embodiment of this invention shown in place on the bottom of a ski indicated in dot-dash lines;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the device of FIG. 5; while FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the same taken from the left-hand side of FIGS. 5 and 6.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein the sharpening device carries its own drive motor. The ski 10 has the running edge 11. Here the base 12' has a pair of upstanding rigid brackets 26 in which a shaft 15' is jo-urnaled at 19' for both rotation and axial movement. A motor 27 has a housing which is slidable along the base 12 for slight movement axially along with shaft 15'. This motor has the usual stator and rotor (not shown), the latter being aflixed to shaft 15' in "ice a known manner so that energization of the motor 27 causes rotation of the shaft 15'. Secured to one end of the shaft 15' is the grinding wheel 14', attached by means of the washers 16 and nuts 17. A helical spring 21 embraces shaft 15 and is engaged between the housing of motor 27 and one of the upstanding brackets 26 to normally urge the grinding wheel 14 away from the running edge of the ski. The opposite bracket 26 limits this movement. Guide means 23' is provided having a flat surface 23a at right angles to the plane of the grinding wheel axis adapted to engage the ski running edge 11 in a grinding and truing operation.

Preferably, a knob 28 is provided at the end of shaft 15' outside of the grinding wheel for the application of theoperators hand urging the grinding wheel toward the running edge of the ski during a grinding operation. A guard 25 embraces the grinding wheel. A handle 32 may be attached to the base, if desired.

The operation of this invention should now be clear. The operator places the device on the upturned bottom of the ski with the base 12' engaging the ski bottom and with the guide shoes 23' flat against the running edge 11. At this time the spring 21 is urging the grinding wheel face away from the running edge of the ski.

Power is applied to the motor 27 in the usual manner and the operator then grasps the motor 27, or handle 32, to propel the base 12 along the ski and at the same time he applies his other hand to the knob 28 so as to apply the grinding face 14a of the grinding wheel to the running edge of the ski in the dot-dash position of FIG. 3. The operator then Walks the length of the ski performing the grinding operation in a few minutes.

In a modification of FIG. 3, the spring 21' may be omitted and spring 30 added around shaft 15' on the grinding wheel side of the motor 27. Spring 30, acting between the adjacent brackets 26 and the motor 27 will then urge the grinding wheel face 14a toward the right in FIG. 3, as shown in dot-dash lines, so that the grinding wheel is urged against the running edge 11 by a predetermined controlled force when shoe guides 23' are pressed against the edge 11.

The modification of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is somewhat simpler than the first described embodiment. Here the base 35 is similar to the previously described base and has lower faces 35a at opposite ends adapted to slide smooth- 1y along the bottom of an upturned ski. Mounted on this base is a motor 27 whose shaft 15' is supported in bearings at 26 and the shaft also carries a driven grinding wheel 14', all as described in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4. A guard '36 protects the grinding wheel and a face plate 37 across the front of the guard is preferably equipped with a handle 38 whereby the base 35 together with the motor and grinding wheel may be moved transversely of the ski. It is not necessary in this form of the device to provide any springs urging the grinding wheel, 'toward or away from the bottom of the ski. Means is provided for guiding the grinding face 39 of the wheel 14 as it travels along the running edge 11 of the ski in a grinding operation. This comprises a stop 40 which is spaced from the axis of the shaft 15' and, while two of these stops could be provided on opposite sides of the grinding wheel as in the first embodiment, only one is shown here because it has been found that this single stop 40 together with the grinding face 39 gives sufiicient guidance of the wheel as it moves longitudinally of the ski in a grinding operation. The stop 40 is rigidly mounted on a threaded member 41 which coacts with threads in a block 42 which is fixed to the base 35. It is obvious that by threading the stop- 40' into or out of the block 42 the amount of impingement of the grinding face 39 against the running edge 11 may be controlled.

The operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 should now be obvious. The motor 27 is connected by electric power in any suitable manner (not shown), the operator adjusts the stop member 40 as desired, and then by pushing on the handle 38 assisted by the handle 32 if necessary, the operator moves the devise longitudinally of the ski bottom so as to true up the running edge 11.

It will be noted that hooks or clamps attached to the ski need not be removed to use this improved sharpening device.

It is obvious that the sharpening device of this invention might be fixed and the ski moved relative thereto during the sharpening operation.

When the skis have cable bindings or other hardware fixed to the sides, it is desirable to lift the base 12 so that the grinding wheel 14 will not extend appreciably below the running edge 11 when the ski is turned upside down as shown in FIG. 1. A modification for this purpose is shown in FIG. 1A which repeats a portion of FIG. 1 to show the modification. It should be understood that this modification may be applied to any of the other embodiments shown herein.

The member 43 is fixed to one end of the base 12 in such a manner that it may be swung down into operative position as shown in FIG. 1A or may be rotated about a hinge connection 45, or otherwise mounted, so that it may be moved out of operating position once the obstructing cable bindings or other hardware have been passed in the grinding operation. The arrow in FIG. 1A indicates how the member 43 may be rotated in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown so that it will lie flat on top of the end portion of the base 12. In one successful use of this improvement, the member 43 is sufficient to hold the base member 12 about A of an inch above the ski bottom 10 in FIG. 1A as compared with the position shown in FIG. 1. The member 43 is connected by a butt hinge 45 with a hingeleaf 46 which is secured to the base 12 by welding or in any other suitable manner. At its lower end, the member 43 is bent at right angles to provide a sliding shoe 44 adapted to ride on the bottom of the ski 10. A stop member 44a is provided extending downwardly from the shoe 44 so as to engage the running edge 11 of the ski directly vertically below the laterally innermost edge 23a of the guide means 23 previously described in connection with FIG. 1.

The operation of the improvements of FIG. 1A should now be readily understood. All of the parts of FIG. 1 which are the same have been given the same reference characters. When sharpening a ski having such cable bindings or other hardware affixed to the sides of the ski, one has the lifting member 43 in inoperative position and uses the device by using drill 31 to rotate grinding wheel 14 while moving base 12 longitudinally of ski bottom 10 until coming to the obstruction. The motor driving shaft 15 is then stopped, the lifting flap 43 is turned downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 1A, with the guide or stop 44a pressed against the running edge 11. The shaft 15 is again rotated until one gets past the obstruction, then the motor is stopped and the flap 43 is folded out of the position of FIG. 1A in the direction of the arrow which again causes the lower sur- 4 face 13 of the base member 12 to engage the bottom of the ski with the guide means 23 again presenting the edge 23a against the running edge 11 of the ski. One then proceeds as before to finish the job. It should be understood that in the position of the parts in -FIG. 1A the guide member 23, shown there, is not in engagement with the running edge 11 of the ski although the guide member 23 at the opposite end of the base 12 is so engaged with the running edge.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for sharpening a running edge at the junction of a ski bottom and a ski vertical side, comprising a base having a bottom surface adapted to slide along said ski bottom, grinding wheel and drive shaft assembly mounted on said base for rotation and axial reciprocation with the shaft axis of rotation parallel to said ski bottom and above said base, said shaft journalled in said base and supporting said wheel to one side of said base, said wheel having a grinding face in a plane at right angles to said axis, guide means on said base below said bottom surface thereof providing a flat surface at right angles to the plane of said wheel axis adapted to engage a portion of said ski vertical side when said grinding face engages said running edge, and a motor above said base and fixed thereto and drivingly connected to said shaft.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 including spring means urging said wheel and shaft assembly away from said ski vertical side.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 including spring means urging said wheel and shaft assembly toward said ski vertical side.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 including a lifting flap forming a portion of said guide means, said lifting flap having along its upper edge a pivotal connection with said base and running crosswise of said ski bottom, whereby said fiap may have one pivoted position out of engagement with said ski bottom and another pivoted position where the lower edge of said flap engages said ski bottom,-

and the length of said flap in said bottom-engaging position holding said base higher above said ski bottom than when said flap is in said one position out of engagement with said bottom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,725,698 12/19'55 Hill 5ll73 X 3,357,140 12/1967 Huhn 5ll73 1,961,328 6/1934 Beach 5ll73 X 3,337,955 8/1967 Poletajev 30294 2,180,640 11/1939 Mikalson. 1,643,882 9/1927 Faiver 51-170..2 3,412,508 11/1968 Schell 51-128 X FOREIGN PATENTS 962,140 4/1957 Germany. 277,135 8/ 1963 Australia.

JAMES L. JONES, IR., Primary Examiner 

